Trailer Tuesday: Foxcatcher

This one might seem like relatively old news to most of you, but it didn’t “catch” my eye until recently. (Pun shamelessly intended).

Steve Carell has obviously built his career in the world of comedy, and has become one of the most successful men in Hollywood because of it. Now, he’s taking a pretty dramatic turn with his role as Channing Tatum‘s sociopathic wrestling coach in “Foxcatcher.” I have never been a huge fan of Channing Tatum, but some of his more recent work would suggest that he’s stepped up his game and shown that he’s actually got some talent in the craft.

Admittedly, my knowledge of this true story was even less than that of the actual film, so I had no idea what to expect from this short, mysterious teaser trailer. Immediately going into it, it’s clear that this is a very dark film. With a haunting score to kick things off and a creepy Extreme Close-Up of a very made-up Carell, it couldn’t be more apparent that we’re in for a very dark drama here. As John du Pont (Carell) rattles off a raspy voiceover, he asks Mark Schultz (Tatum), “Do you know who I am?,” suggesting he must be a pretty big deal. We soon learn that du Pont is a wrestling coach, and Schultz is a pretty decent wrestler, so du Pont wants to work with him to become “the best in the world.” Now, if it wasn’t clear from these first introductions that our main characters are a tidbit unhinged, it soon becomes extremely obvious. Du Pont claims that he is a patriot and he wants to see the country “soar” again. This is followed by quick shots of Tatum training in the weight room, du Pont celebrating and shooting guns in a shooting range, du Pont slapping Schultz in the face and Schultz slamming his face into a mirror. This would all heavily suggesting that these characters are willing to go to great lengths to succeed. We finally end on the final shot, with du Pont entering what looks to be a practice gym full of wrestlers, gun in hand, with a voiceover stating “We’re going to do great things, Mark.” Smash to black.

Creepy. Awesome. Not to sound creepy myself, but this trailer got me very excited in no more than 65 seconds! It definitely did not reveal much at all in the short time we were given to experience the story, but we saw just enough to get an idea of the motivations for the characters. All while maintaining a respectable amount of mystery, even though this it’s based on a true story. This trailer pulled off a very difficult feat in doing that.

This is one fox I’ll be catching in the theatres! (Couldn’t help myself). Anybody else?

Originally from Indiana, Lehe moved to Los Angeles 2 years ago to pursue a career in screenwriting. Since relocating to the "Left Coast," Lehe has worked at a production company, a talent agency and now an entertainment law firm, all while building a network of industry connections.